We all know that exercising with full stomach is not great and it can even be very uncomfortable sometimes. It is no different for children, so that is why it is tricky to know when to feed your child before a swimming lesson. You certainly would not want them grumpy and hungry when you arrive at a pool!
We’ve put together some tips on when to feed your child and what they should eat before and after swimming…
For babies
For breastfed babies, it is usually fine to give a small feed up to an hour before a session. We recommend you avoid a full bottle feed or solids in an hour before a session. Your baby may need an extra feed AFTER a lesson as they will have burnt up lots of energy during the swimming session.
For Toddlers
We would advise leaving at least an hour between your toddler eating solid food and their swimming lesson. They often get hungry after their workout so be prepared with a snack afterwards.
For older children
We would advise leaving at least one hour between your child eating food and their swimming lesson.
What to eat before swimming?
We would suggest pre-swimming foods such as porridge oats, wholegrain breads and pasta, sweet potatoes, unsalted nuts, bagels, smoothies, or yoghurt. These will give your child a consistent supply of energy during their swimming lessons. Make sure to avoid any oily or fried foods before swimming lessons.
What to eat after swimming?
For post swimming, your body needs to recover from physical exertion and replenish energy and nutrient levels within an hour of leaving the pool.
Aim to feed your children healthy foods which are protein based such as lean chicken, turkey, oily fish, nuts, Greek yogurt, lentils, quinoa and cottage cheese. To restore vital nutrients, it’s important to pair these with a variety of high-fiber fruits and vegetables. We love an apple with almond butter spread or vegetable sticks with dips after swimming! There are more ideas for healthy snacks here.
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